Hi Al, I must say that is the best Indian Restaurant Base Gravy 2 that I have made. I went on and maid your Chicken Mirchi Bhuna and I am so pleased with the out come it honestly tastes just like the Rajpoot restaurant in Taunton Somerset, I moved to Malta nearly six years ago and you can’t get what I would say is a half decent curry so finding your site is a blessing. Thanks
Ive been experimenting making curry’s for years now with limited success until now. Made my first Al’s K madras (pre-cooked lamb) last night and it looks, smells tastes great. The recipe is quite involved but definitely worth the effort. Thanks Al
Making my fith batch since finding your curries 18 months ago. Not only do the curries taste great, its actually really enjoyable making them, and that includes this base gravy....Pathia is the favourite ❤
If making a large batch for freezing, leave it nice and thick like double cream and then thin it down with water when you defrost it for use, no point in filling the freezer with water
So what size batches would you freeze? I originally thought 600ml each bag (Al makes his curries with 4 ladles of 150ml), but if it's undiluted, then how much? 400ml?
Hi Al, always watch your channel and do my best to make a decent curry. two weeks ago I did your base gravy 2 and OMG! It is the final nail in the coffin. AMAZING! Now it really really is just like the real deal. Tnx so much :)
Yeah, thanks, Al. I’ve just spent two hours making “not food”. Seriously though, this entire housing estate smells awesome. There must be a rush on every curry house in town - and they have no idea why. I cannot wait to try some of your recipes with this. It’s a rich, complex - and very mild - gravy. Fellow followers - this recipe makes loads of this gravy. Literally litres of the stuff. It’s fifteen minutes of preparation and a couple of hours of nipping back and tending to it. I think however that it will be time well spent - many times over.
Thank you for posting this Al as you say special sauce and it really is. I made this and it is fantastic. My daughter who has since left home, has asked me for the recipe she said she always remembers how good it was. Great!!!
I have used your second base gravy for a while now and it is great. However I used 4 kg of onions by mistake as I usually do a double amount so I have quadrupled this time. Just finishing the final hours blend, smells great, will let you know how it turns up with my madras I will make this week.
This gravy is super! My husband loves it and I can’t wait to cook different kinds of curry. My first curry with this gravy is Chicken Balti JALFREZI. I pre-cooked the chicken, next time, I gonna use chicken tikka.
Done base gravy 1 about 5 times, im now making this one. 15 mins into the 1st hr. Might as well watch some of my Al's kitchen favourites while i wait 😁 Hopefully there's enough time to knock out a prawn garlic chilli curry before the end of the evening using this base gravy... be a crying shame not too.
Al.... my Hero! Just attacked the Base 2 gravy... after yesterday cooking the Lamb Samosas.... shall be going for the Chicken Ceylon a little later.... why haven’t you published a book?? 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️... LOVE YOUR VIDEOS PAL... ALL THE BEST! 🎩👌🏽
Hi Al I made this last night along with your chicken jalfrezie ! Omitted the green chilies ( for the wife ) but we were both delighted with the results ! 😋 your chicken korma next ( wife's choice 😂) waiting for coconut powder to arrive 👍 love your videos 👏👏
hi al will be making this soon looks to have more depth of flavour than your first base gravy specially because of the addition of spiced water ... tell me al is it possible to make homemade poppadoms.......made chicken saag for my mate on thursday he loved it although i,m not a fan of spinach cheers mate .....al
Looking forward to trying this out. Can't wait to make some of your recipes. would really like to know where I can pick up an aluminium wok/Karahi like yours though...?
I'm making your base gravy...as we speak... smell's Amazing 🤩.... I'll be making your Chicken Madras tomorrow 😻.... can't wait!!!! I was quite skeptical about the condensed milk? But wow...it smells like Birmingham 🤣 👍🏻💪
Hi Al. New Zealand here. I will try this base as it has enough ingredients to make it interesting and quite deep in flavour. A couple of questions however: 1) Can I substitute coconut block with coconut cream? If so, how much cream in mls? I have never seen coconut block in NZ. 2) How much base gravy does this recipe produce? 3) I freeze mine in 400ml containers. Is this a suitable quantity for diluting for a couple of curries? Thanks in anticipation Bro. Russ.
Question guy's...Done a base gravy 2 (superb by the way), and have used it for the first time with a Jalfrezi (also superb). My question is...can i cool it down and re-freeze what's left over, or is that a complete no no ? Thanks in advance.
Imo, yes suitable to freeze on the day. Just like a soup or other dishes can. I have not yet frozen any yet, I will try to freeze in usable batches ie not a big block that will take a day to defrost. Good luck and Cheers.
Al.your recipes have opened up both my kitchen and my skills.My friends are happier when I feed them and my missus is happy because I cook most days now,so I can't thank you enough.But..Sadly I have to give you some constructive criticism on your number 2 base gravy. Over the last year i have gone from a novice chef to an enthusiastic amature.I have learned about taste and tasting while cooking and knowing what is what. Back to the base gravy,Your first one altho nice was just too hot for me so on your advice I tried the one Misty Ricciardo made and I loved it and used that for your recipes. It meant that I could adjust the heat while cooking and tasting as I went along and it was the best of both worlds,but I always felt like some sort of recipe bandit..lol.. Tonight I took the time to make your number two base gravy and there it was.The reason the first one was so wrong for us..Those green finger chilles,even with just one in there this time that taste and heat took away the control on the heat in the curry. I know for those who like a curry hot it will be fine,and we have been working our way up to hotter and hotter variations of your recipes but that flavour and heat is what for me took away the control..I have a huge pan of it that I may not use that would have been great without that one element.I hope you take this the right way..I'm not throwing you an insult because we love your channel and you and how you teach us..But for others who are not mad on very hot but want to enjoy your recipes as we have it might be worth a mention to leave that out for us wussies..Cheers for all you have done in our kitchen Al and keep up the great work.
Hi Herbert. Thanks for your comment. I have to say that I really don't understand that you feel that the base gravy is hot, even remotely. 1 green finger chilli in 5 litres of base barely even registers. Obviously, You can leave the chilli out, its not a deal breaker. Thanks though for taking the time to do the recipe and well done for progressing on your journey in curry cooking. I may put this issue out on Facebook to see if others feel this way about the chilli. Al
Hi Al.I worded things a little wrong the other night,I said hot when i meant bite.The green chilli had the same effect of over powering the flavour of the curry/gravy as green peppers do when people put them in a curry and cook it for hours. I felt bad for my comment because I think you are great,so,tonight I made it over again without the green chilli and it was fantastic. It's not that I can't handle a hot curry as you may have thought because I can and normally add more heat to most recipes I try. So it's probably more just my opinion that the gravy is far better without that one element,as you said it shouldn't really be noticeable but trust me it is.It's like a thin line of heat across the mouth just poking out and beating all the other flavours up a bit..lol. Thanks again for doing your channel,now to tidy my kitchen again.. Cheers Al.
I’ve just made some base gravy and it tastes like a mix of Carrot & Coriander soup and tomato soup. Is that how it should taste? I used all the ingredients in your recipe except the lentils and only a little coconut.
If there's a couple ingredients you don't have just make the base gravy without them; no biggie... A dash of tabasco can substitute for the heat of fresh chilies IMHO (and would add a little of much needed acidity in this (again, IMHO)), I would just avoid hot sauces that have a smoked flavour. As for the mustard seeds just don't put any in, it'll be absolutely fine, but they're really easy to find in asian/indian shops (and they have the added bonus that you can make your own mustard with them!).
Don't be an idiot. Bottled water is full of bacteria. Google Evian recalls and botulism. Tap water is chlorinated to kill bacteria. If you fill a bottle with tap water and leave it in the fridge over night, the chlorine, having done its job cleansing the water will evaporate completely from solution leaving behind the cleanest, safest water money can buy.
@@jackyelnats3543 Perhaps you should be asking someone from Flint Michigan. Before you LOL, maybe you should Google. Try "does tap water contain heavy metals" Here's just one result: There are several heavy metals on the World Health Organization's list of Chemicals of Major Public Health Concern, including lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, all of which can be found in tap water.17 Jan 2020
Al I made this today but somehow it tastes of too much coriander but I have got 2 x 2 teaspoons and also 30g fresh. (that's including the Akhi water). How can I get rid of the overpowering coriander flavour? Should I add another tin of tomatoes? My gravy reminds me slightly of carrot and coriander soup, with onion. Is that how it should taste? Any input appreciated. Love your videos by the way. Cheers
Hi Mick. Don't worry about the taste. Its not great on its own. Just a foundation for curry that will caramelise when fried down in a curry. Just make sure it's thin so you can cook it out for long enough without it splattering. Try the New Bhuna
Cheers for that. I actually added some juice from a tin of tomatoes and that helped and its definitely thin. Sort of in between milk and single cream. Thanks for the reply. And I'll definitely check out your next video. I've watched a lot already and I've ordered loads of bulk spices to make the mix powder too. Hey have you done a video on homemade naan bread cos there's a few online but they all have different ingredients and ways to make it.
@@AlsKitchen I made the Chicken Tikka Bhuna Friday with Base 1 and Your Tikka recipe and it was an absolute banger! I've made 3 or 4 different ones now and all good but this was so much like takeaway but better and I knew all the ingredients!! Leftover Chicken Tikka Naan wraps tonight.
Hi Al...I notice all you chefs always use gas cookers. We don't have gas in our house. How much of a disadvantage will that be for cooking all your great curry's if I wanted to start?? Thx 👍
You can do on electric, not as good as gas as you lose some control and can't do things like ignite the gravy for a smokey flavour. The worst is conduction cookers.
@@AlsKitchen Ok cheers for the heads up Al....we're about to pull the plug on getting a new (electric) cooker, and couldn't decide whether or not to go for one of those new-fandangled conduction ones...or just a GOOD, modern 'normal' one. Looks like the choice has been made for us, because we both love our curries! Thx again mate 👍
I for one will not be making the Base gravy 2, there is just to many ingredients, your first Base gravy has more than enough ingredients for a Base gravy and I bet the Indian restaurants don't go through all that trouble and expense, at the end of the day it's a onion garlic and ginger and a few other things that make a simple Base gravy. I follow your original Base gravy recipe and will continue to do so as I've made some amazing curries from it.
Gary You'lld be surprised to see what lengths some I dian restaurants go through. In fact similar bases to this is used. I'm glad you like the original base gravy. It is a gem and a great all rounder. Cheers
What type of Onion does Al use here ? They’re already chopped & in the pot so I can’t tell. Would they be brown skinned or white ? Would it matter ? I made this last time with brown skinned onions & the consistency was a little grainy, not smooth so I was wondering if this was due to the onions or to be not blending for long enough?
Ingredients: 1kg of white onions, peeled and chopped in half. 1 red capsicum, cored and chopped. 1 carrot, chopped. 1 green chilli, chopped. 1 can of whole tomatoes. 50g coconut block. 125g sweetened condensed milk (or evaporated milk). 100g white cabbage, chopped. 1/2 small potato, not peeled. 1 cup red lentils, rinsed. 30g or 1 bunch coriander, not chopped. 2tsp ghee. 60ml vegetable oil. 50g garlic, peeled. 50g ginger, peeled. 1TBSP tomatoes paste. 2tsp turmeric powder. 2tsp cumin powder. 2tsp coriander powder. 2tsp paprika 2tsp tandoori masala powder. 1tsp salt. Akhni Stock: 3 bay leaves. 7 green cardamon pods. 4 cloves. 2tsp black mustard seeds. 2tsp fennel seeds. 2tsp coriander seeds. 2tsp cumin seeds. 1/2 star anise. 1 small piece of cinnamon or cassia bark. Method: Add all base gravy ingredients into a 5L pot (not Akhni Stock ingredients) . Fill the pot with water so it barely covers the ingredients. Bring to the boil on a low simmer. Let simmer for 1hour. Bring to the boil 700ml of water. Add Akhni Stock ingredients and let simmer for 15mins. Drain the akhni stock to remove solids and add to base gravy. Once the base gravy has been simmering for one hour, turn off the heat and blitz the gravy until it is ultra smooth. Ideally this can be done with a handheld blender. Other blenders can be used as an alternative although the gravy must be cooled to room temperature beforehand. No lumps should be left in the base. Whilst the gravy is simmering, fill the pot with water until the gravy has a milk-like consistency. Simmer for one more hour. Divide gravy into smaller portions (eg 4 small ladles) and freeze for future use.
Ive made this a few times now and what I do is not to add the last bit of water . This way I can freeze it in smaller batches and then add the water for the consistency later..
Thanks Al...Im going to be honest. I already think the base gravy you've shown us is fantastic and I'm not sure if i want to change it. If it ain't broke don't fix it sort of thing! I saw this video last night (Sat Feb 16th) after having had a few guests up and serving them your Madras, Masalla and Bombay potato dishes. They thought the food was superb. I'm not sure if the first base can therefore be improved. Having said that I did slightly adjust the first one in that i added Cabbage, celery and evaporated carnation milk so i probably will try this one. Cheers Al, you've completely transformed my bir cooking.👍
I commented here 3 years ago saying that I was more than happy to stick with the 1st base. Well I've now tried this one and I've got to say that it is bloody superb! It has taken my Curries up another notch. More depth, more flavour even the smell! I'll only use this base now. My curries have gone from being good to being astounding. I don't take any credit because the credit is yours Al... Cheers and hope you're feeling better now. 👍
Just tested this gravy with a vindaloo, and it's brilliant. I made it using a pressure cooker though (Instant Pot),. 20 minutes + 10 minutes NPR, blitzed and added the spiced water, then 15 minutes ÷ 10 minutes NPR. Also, I skipped the condensed milk, but didn't feel I missed something..
I make curries often but not nearly at this level. I had no idea this is what the restaurants were doing no wonder I just couldn't make it taste the same. Hello from a new subscriber from the US. How about a tagine? Or another african curry? How about a caribbean curry?
@@AlsKitchen cheers! Going to do the base gravy batch tomorrow and have some chicken thighs. Any recommendations of recipes that don't need much extra work once the batch of base is made?
Hello Al I'v just made this gravy, I tasted it before thinning it down and it took me back to late 70s when there were only 2 Indian restaurants in Walsall, West Mids. One was called the Standard restaurant, they used to do a curry soup starter it was amazing, ,i've been trying to find that soup for 40yrs without success until now i'v found out their soup was bloody base gravy. Well done Al I shall be following your recipes from now on. Excellent thanks Al. Dec. ps I put a litre of akhni stock in, sorry.
Well Al, I made this yesterday and used it to make a madras and a bhuna last night. This really is the magic potion to produce proper BIR curries. Have to say I had my doubts with some of the ingredients going in, cabbage , condensed milk...but it all come together beautifully. Spent years trying recipes and watching vids trying to come up with something at least half decent but they always fell short. Now I will not go past this base gravy, it's the key to producing tasty restaurant style dishes.I have 5 tubs in the freezer ready for action. Thank you sir! Even had some leftovers for breakfast this morning. I always think next day curry is even better
Hi Al, Do you freeze yours? If you can in what amount would you split it up to? 300ml, 500ml or 1ltr? Normally cook for a family of 3 as a general rule. Help appreciated, love the videos :)
Imo based on Indian restaurant experience, there are way too many ingredients and flavours. A bir base should a simple onion based stock which is mildly spiced. The flavour/spice is added at the individual cooking stage.
Al's Kitchen I agree and no offense intended. That's the beauty of bir curry. Tastes and techniques vary dramatically. I apologise if I came across wrong.
High Al, reaching the end of 1st base gravy batch, i made few months back, which is excellent. I intend making base gravy 2 next time round, the ingredints list is quite extensive. Can they all be bought in Tooting, south London? i know you shop down that way sometimes. I hope you're well, and doing ok, not only are you're recipes excellent, you're a nice guy as well. Thanks for improving my cooking skills in the curry department. Keep up the good work, you're an absolute star.
Can’t you just make tons of the stuff and sell it in cans/containers so we can just buy it from Sainsbury’s. Would make my life easier and you’ll be quids in 🤑
So the first hour is letting everything boil and cook and 15 minutes before the first hour is done add the stock and the last hour blitz at the beginning and thin it out and boil for another hour ? Gonna have a go today 👍
Love your videos Al. I am an Indian who normally cooks Indian dishes the authentic way. But after recently opening an Indian restaurant, my interest in learning restaurant style cooking peaked. Every chef seems to have their own way for making these base gravies, but yours is the only video that cover the whole process without keeping some ingredients as secret. Thumbs up for your effort. You have earned another subscriber.
Yes it will. Ive made several different versions of base gravy and never used coconut. Theyve always made great curries. I think this is just how he likes his.
Just subbed to your channel, I’ve been on a mission to up my fake aways. Got pizza, Thai an Chinese down. IMO Indian is the most difficult to get down but your gravy I reckon is the secret. Will be making this!!
I just cooked your Madras. Soo good. On a par with the Sitar in Norwood Junction and better than any other Indian restaurant. I can’t wait to get stuck in to your other recipes. Cheers Al.
Picked up your channel from BBC 5Live. I have been cooking curries for years and couldn't wait to give the base gravy a go. With lockdown, I searched the internet for online spices to no avail. Anyhow managed to get down the shop and stocked up. Yesterday I made the base gravy and because I have two young girls gave the Chicken Tikka Masala a go. Wow, what a result. Absolutely amazing. Wife orders this all the time and she was well impressed. Kids devoured it. One question Al. How do you store fresh coriander? I had mine in the fridge but after only 24hours it wilted.
James.Wrap your coriander in kitchen roll and place it in an airtight/Tupperware type dish and put it in the fridge.It will last for around7 to 10 days.
Best Indian base gravy I’ve seen on RUclips, dunno if all the Indian restaurant videos don’t want to share the full ingredients but this is a very good if not one of the best I’ve seen, and I’ve worked in Indian restaurants for many years
@@aussiedon8 I just get it up to hissing then turn it down low for 20 mins-ish. Then leave it to decompress fully. Finally zuzz it smooth. put in containers and freeze. I always leave it quite thick so I can add water later. Very old pressure cooker. Had it for about 40 years.
Been using your bas gravy 1 for about three months now and love it. Now making your Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with base gravy for tonight's meal and will be making some of this superb looking base gravy 2 tomorrow....Keep it coming Al :)
Been researching this for weeks now. Finally bit the bullet and brought all the spices, pans, spoons, blender etc. Spent a small fortune lol. Out of the four people I've been reading about I keep coming back to you Al. So gonna give this base gravy a go hopefully next week. Can't wait!
Have in fact now made this. Made a couple of curries with it but personality, I think the Coriander is a bit too strong. Not sure why it needs 3 lots of it (powder, fresh and the seeds in the stock). Next time I might try leaving one of the three out and see how it goes. Don't get me wrong it doesn't taste horrible or anything it's just my personal preference as tbh I've never been overly keen on Coriander to begin with so don't let that out you off trying this. Its just about finding what's good for you.
I created this a few days ago. And like a good second day soup, the flavours matured to an extent that the flavours had me dancing. I then marinated 1.5 kilos of diced beef overnight in teaspoonfuls of ground ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander and paprika, with an added onion and red pepper and salt. I added 4 spoonfuls of oil and placed in a caserole dish. I poured in the gravy and slow cooked it in the oven at 170 for 3.5 hours. Mate... thanks for this. During this lockdown I've turned to cooking to pass the time. And where I live in Edinburgh, has a plethora of Mediterranean and Chinese supermarkets. It'll be a long time before I shop at mainstream stores again. Thanks again.
Been eating curries for 50 years (started young) mainly in Birmingham. Done this, didn't have red lentils but used other lentils, must say this is the best base so far, made my curries from your recipes taste the best I have made, madras was especially good. Thank you and keep on posting your recipes on RUclips.
I'm sticking to your original base gravy Al but I'm thinking of adding a few of them ingredients to it just to jazz it up a notch or two thanks again Al for your input to this brilliant information you give us a masterclass Sir.
New to this channel and loving it already, Been eating curries since the seventies and am a big fan of the British Indian style. Trendy nowadays to go Fine Dining and folks bang on about authenticity blah blah blah but this style for me is world class. Lots of snobs and dictionary swallowing keyboard jockies get a tad irate at times but for me this is the real deal. Gonna get on this and make a bhuna at the weekend for the fiance, her favourite so no pressure....
Hi Al, just finishing off another batch of base gravy. Loved the chicken balti and the bhuna. Gonna try the garlic chilli chicken next. Excellent video's. I'm from Sutton Coldfield by Brum which has a tradition of good curries and balti's, but there's nowt like homemade if the recipe is bang on and yours are. I'm glad you like "proper beer" instead of those girie lagers as well...lol
Hi Al,
I must say that is the best Indian Restaurant Base Gravy 2 that I have made. I went on and maid your Chicken Mirchi Bhuna and I am so pleased with the out come it honestly tastes just like the Rajpoot restaurant in Taunton Somerset, I moved to Malta nearly six years ago and you can’t get what I would say is a half decent curry so finding your site is a blessing.
Thanks
Ha I remember that curry house. Good food!
Ive been experimenting making curry’s for years now with limited success until now. Made my first Al’s K madras (pre-cooked lamb) last night and it looks, smells tastes great. The recipe is quite involved but definitely worth the effort. Thanks Al
Making my fith batch since finding your curries 18 months ago. Not only do the curries taste great, its actually really enjoyable making them, and that includes this base gravy....Pathia is the favourite ❤
How long dose the gravy keep for??
Robins sent me here.
I came up from the well to find this
Me too.
Greetings akpcd's
Me too!
Are you on email?
If making a large batch for freezing, leave it nice and thick like double cream and then thin it down with water when you defrost it for use, no point in filling the freezer with water
So what size batches would you freeze? I originally thought 600ml each bag (Al makes his curries with 4 ladles of 150ml), but if it's undiluted, then how much? 400ml?
Hi Al, always watch your channel and do my best to make a decent curry. two weeks ago I did your base gravy 2 and OMG! It is the final nail in the coffin. AMAZING! Now it really really is just like the real deal. Tnx so much :)
vermilion J I would tend to agree! ⚰️
Yeah, thanks, Al. I’ve just spent two hours making “not food”.
Seriously though, this entire housing estate smells awesome. There must be a rush on every curry house in town - and they have no idea why.
I cannot wait to try some of your recipes with this. It’s a rich, complex - and very mild - gravy.
Fellow followers - this recipe makes loads of this gravy. Literally litres of the stuff. It’s fifteen minutes of preparation and a couple of hours of nipping back and tending to it. I think however that it will be time well spent - many times over.
Why not comment when you have cooked a curry
@@andycurrry8818 This video by Al is not about curry. It’s about base gravy. My tongue in cheek comment was about this base gravy video.
Thank you for posting this Al as you say special sauce and it really is.
I made this and it is fantastic. My daughter who has since left home, has
asked me for the recipe she said she always remembers how good it was.
Great!!!
Nice one Al 👍 the quantities are perfect too - i'm slow cooking mine all day - then going to make the curry this evening
Wow! This has created an exceptional flavour to my dishes. So easy to prepare and my freezer is full. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Just an update. My friends are raiding my freezer to grab a tub. I'm very popular 😁
Made this yesterday and used it to cook 5 Spice Chicken Dhansak, it all turned out marvelous.
I have used your second base gravy for a while now and it is great. However I used 4 kg of onions by mistake as I usually do a double amount so I have quadrupled this time. Just finishing the final hours blend, smells great, will let you know how it turns up with my madras I will make this week.
Made this earlier this week and it's absolutely beautiful.
has al had a recipe book printed
This gravy is super! My husband loves it and I can’t wait to cook different kinds of curry. My first curry with this gravy is Chicken Balti JALFREZI. I pre-cooked the chicken, next time, I gonna use chicken tikka.
the ace of base love it cheers al
Nice one Al, I’m definitely going to use this recipe, cheers.
Thank you so much for your answer Al.
Class video Al, cooked this up this weekend, along with the madras. Bang on👌👍
Just knocked up another batch of Als magic gravy. Used up all my last batch making your black pepper chicken Balti 😋😄
This looks amazing, I’m going to try it
Done base gravy 1 about 5 times, im now making this one. 15 mins into the 1st hr. Might as well watch some of my Al's kitchen favourites while i wait 😁
Hopefully there's enough time to knock out a prawn garlic chilli curry before the end of the evening using this base gravy... be a crying shame not too.
Thank you al. I'm going too attempt doing this...
Al.... my Hero! Just attacked the Base 2 gravy... after yesterday cooking the Lamb Samosas.... shall be going for the Chicken Ceylon a little later.... why haven’t you published a book?? 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️... LOVE YOUR VIDEOS PAL... ALL THE BEST! 🎩👌🏽
Superb recipe! Out of interest, once made, how much gravy should there be? I just want to ensure I'm adding roughly the right amount of water! Thanks.
Hi Al I made this last night along with your chicken jalfrezie ! Omitted the green chilies ( for the wife ) but we were both delighted with the results ! 😋 your chicken korma next ( wife's choice 😂) waiting for coconut powder to arrive 👍 love your videos 👏👏
hi al will be making this soon looks to have more depth of flavour than your first base gravy specially because of the addition of spiced water ... tell me al is it possible to make homemade poppadoms.......made chicken saag for my mate on thursday he loved it although i,m not a fan of spinach cheers mate .....al
Hi after this ready gravy you just add to any dish? Can you show how you make any dish out of it please?
Hi AL has a load of recipes on RUclips using this Base Gravy
Looking forward to trying this out. Can't wait to make some of your recipes. would really like to know where I can pick up an aluminium wok/Karahi like yours though...?
Nice 1 Al it work great spot on
I'm making your base gravy...as we speak... smell's Amazing 🤩.... I'll be making your Chicken Madras tomorrow 😻.... can't wait!!!! I was quite skeptical about the condensed milk? But wow...it smells like Birmingham 🤣 👍🏻💪
Hi Al. New Zealand here. I will try this base as it has enough ingredients to make it interesting and quite deep in flavour. A couple of questions however:
1) Can I substitute coconut block with coconut cream? If so, how much cream in mls? I have never seen coconut block in NZ.
2) How much base gravy does this recipe produce?
3) I freeze mine in 400ml containers. Is this a suitable quantity for diluting for a couple of curries?
Thanks in anticipation Bro.
Russ.
Hey Russ NZ here too , since we have no coconut block the ratio is double so 50 g block = 100 g coconut cream
what is the reason for adding sweetened condensed milk?
It's adds a very subtle sweet flavour but also caremelises well with the onions in the gravy.
Hi can you make a Lamb Rogan Josh please, my fave curry! 🥰🥰🥰 love your recipes easy to follow with epic results!, thank you Al 🙏🏻
Question guy's...Done a base gravy 2 (superb by the way), and have used it for the first time with a Jalfrezi (also superb). My question is...can i cool it down and re-freeze what's left over, or is that a complete no no ? Thanks in advance.
Imo, yes suitable to freeze on the day. Just like a soup or other dishes can. I have not yet frozen any yet, I will try to freeze in usable batches ie not a big block that will take a day to defrost. Good luck and Cheers.
@@willlowbridge350 Thanks mate.
Hello Al - Instead of coconut block, can you just use coconut milk or cream? thanks. Ian
Yes, I'd like to know that.
Man Al, this was blody hell good!
Al.your recipes have opened up both my kitchen and my skills.My friends are happier when I feed them and my missus is happy because I cook most days now,so I can't thank you enough.But..Sadly I have to give you some constructive criticism on your number 2 base gravy.
Over the last year i have gone from a novice chef to an enthusiastic amature.I have learned about taste and tasting while cooking and knowing what is what.
Back to the base gravy,Your first one altho nice was just too hot for me so on your advice I tried the one Misty Ricciardo made and I loved it and used that for your recipes.
It meant that I could adjust the heat while cooking and tasting as I went along and it was the best of both worlds,but I always felt like some sort of recipe bandit..lol..
Tonight I took the time to make your number two base gravy and there it was.The reason the first one was so wrong for us..Those green finger chilles,even with just one in there this time that taste and heat took away the control on the heat in the curry.
I know for those who like a curry hot it will be fine,and we have been working our way up to hotter and hotter variations of your recipes but that flavour and heat is what for me took away the control..I have a huge pan of it that I may not use that would have been great without that one element.I hope you take this the right way..I'm not throwing you an insult because we love your channel and you and how you teach us..But for others who are not mad on very hot but want to enjoy your recipes as we have it might be worth a mention to leave that out for us wussies..Cheers for all you have done in our kitchen Al and keep up the great work.
Hi Herbert. Thanks for your comment. I have to say that I really don't understand that you feel that the base gravy is hot, even remotely. 1 green finger chilli in 5 litres of base barely even registers. Obviously, You can leave the chilli out, its not a deal breaker. Thanks though for taking the time to do the recipe and well done for progressing on your journey in curry cooking. I may put this issue out on Facebook to see if others feel this way about the chilli. Al
You can always omit any chilli from your eventual curry to counter the chilli in the base.
Hi Al.I worded things a little wrong the other night,I said hot when i meant bite.The green chilli had the same effect of over powering the flavour of the curry/gravy as green peppers do when people put them in a curry and cook it for hours.
I felt bad for my comment because I think you are great,so,tonight I made it over again without the green chilli and it was fantastic.
It's not that I can't handle a hot curry as you may have thought because I can and normally add more heat to most recipes I try.
So it's probably more just my opinion that the gravy is far better without that one element,as you said it shouldn't really be noticeable but trust me it is.It's like a thin line of heat across the mouth just poking out and beating all the other flavours up a bit..lol.
Thanks again for doing your channel,now to tidy my kitchen again..
Cheers Al.
Hey Al, Happy new year mate.
byse gryvy, and that amount looks like fit for 2 weeks !
Al. Just cooked up your recipe, thanks mate. While I like the taste of the end result, how would say it should taste? Thanks mate.
On its own its not very nice. It provides a base to build amazing curries on. Good luck.
I’ve just made some base gravy and it tastes like a mix of Carrot & Coriander soup and tomato soup. Is that how it should taste? I used all the ingredients in your recipe except the lentils and only a little coconut.
Thats right. the magic happens when you make a curry with it
Hi Al can you use smoked paprika ? Will there be a different end result ???
It may make all your dishes smokey. If you like that go ahead if not keep it neutral.
Coconut and condensed milk??? Bro pack it in!!
What can you substitute for the finger chili and the mustard seeds. Thanks.
If there's a couple ingredients you don't have just make the base gravy without them; no biggie... A dash of tabasco can substitute for the heat of fresh chilies IMHO (and would add a little of much needed acidity in this (again, IMHO)), I would just avoid hot sauces that have a smoked flavour. As for the mustard seeds just don't put any in, it'll be absolutely fine, but they're really easy to find in asian/indian shops (and they have the added bonus that you can make your own mustard with them!).
I suggest not using tap water.
There's to many chemicals in it. 👍 😉
Don't be an idiot. Bottled water is full of bacteria. Google Evian recalls and botulism. Tap water is chlorinated to kill bacteria. If you fill a bottle with tap water and leave it in the fridge over night, the chlorine, having done its job cleansing the water will evaporate completely from solution leaving behind the cleanest, safest water money can buy.
@@hughegentry8255 The bacteria may be dead, but the heavy metals are still there, also possibly lime, depending on the local geography.
@@commontater1785 lol what? Have you ever tested the ppm of your water?
@@jackyelnats3543 Perhaps you should be asking someone from Flint Michigan.
Before you LOL, maybe you should Google.
Try "does tap water contain heavy metals"
Here's just one result:
There are several heavy metals on the World Health Organization's list of Chemicals of Major Public Health Concern, including lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic, all of which can be found in tap water.17 Jan 2020
Al I made this today but somehow it tastes of too much coriander but I have got 2 x 2 teaspoons and also 30g fresh. (that's including the Akhi water).
How can I get rid of the overpowering coriander flavour? Should I add another tin of tomatoes? My gravy reminds me slightly of carrot and coriander soup, with onion. Is that how it should taste? Any input appreciated.
Love your videos by the way.
Cheers
Hi Mick. Don't worry about the taste. Its not great on its own. Just a foundation for curry that will caramelise when fried down in a curry. Just make sure it's thin so you can cook it out for long enough without it splattering. Try the New Bhuna
Cheers for that. I actually added some juice from a tin of tomatoes and that helped and its definitely thin. Sort of in between milk and single cream. Thanks for the reply. And I'll definitely check out your next video. I've watched a lot already and I've ordered loads of bulk spices to make the mix powder too.
Hey have you done a video on homemade naan bread cos there's a few online but they all have different ingredients and ways to make it.
Mick, I have used left over c and c soup as a base gravy and it works fine.
@@AlsKitchen I made the Chicken Tikka Bhuna Friday with Base 1 and Your Tikka recipe and it was an absolute banger! I've made 3 or 4 different ones now and all good but this was so much like takeaway but better and I knew all the ingredients!! Leftover Chicken Tikka Naan wraps tonight.
Al does this make 5 litres?
Do you use this new one all the time now or do you still use the old base gravy
I use both. Equally. Alternate
fully loaded gravy , but seems alot of ingredients
Hi Al, are you familiar with Dan Toombs' 'Curry Guy' base gravy and if so, what are your thoughts on it?
I know Dan Toombs. It's ok but not as good as mine, but then I would say that lol
I've got Dan Toombs' book and it's OK, but I find Al's better.
Hi Al...I notice all you chefs always use gas cookers. We don't have gas in our house. How much of a disadvantage will that be for cooking all your great curry's if I wanted to start?? Thx 👍
You can do on electric, not as good as gas as you lose some control and can't do things like ignite the gravy for a smokey flavour. The worst is conduction cookers.
Ok mate, thanks (did you mean 'conduction' [cookers]?? @@AlsKitchen
MogadishuMan yes. Updated
@@AlsKitchen Ok cheers for the heads up Al....we're about to pull the plug on getting a new (electric) cooker, and couldn't decide whether or not to go for one of those new-fandangled conduction ones...or just a GOOD, modern 'normal' one. Looks like the choice has been made for us, because we both love our curries! Thx again mate 👍
When your simmering the bade gravy is the lid on ?
Thanks
Bernie Hannon It can be left on but simmer it lower. If you do with the lid on you may need to top up with water as some will evaporate.
Thanks for the swift reply.
Do you put the spices or just water into the base gravey
Both
Makes blinding curries Aly ;-)
I for one will not be making the Base gravy 2, there is just to many ingredients, your first Base gravy has more than enough ingredients for a Base gravy and I bet the Indian restaurants don't go through all that trouble and expense, at the end of the day it's a onion garlic and ginger and a few other things that make a simple Base gravy.
I follow your original Base gravy recipe and will continue to do so as I've made some amazing curries from it.
Gary You'lld be surprised to see what lengths some I dian restaurants go through. In fact similar bases to this is used. I'm glad you like the original base gravy. It is a gem and a great all rounder. Cheers
What type of Onion does Al use here ? They’re already chopped & in the pot so I can’t tell. Would they be brown skinned or white ? Would it matter ? I made this last time with brown skinned onions & the consistency was a little grainy, not smooth so I was wondering if this was due to the onions or to be not blending for long enough?
That would be either not blended for long enough or cooked for long enough.
Al's Kitchen / thanks. Yes, I’m not sure which, but I did it again today & was much better. I made sure I cooked for longer and blended longer. 😊
That's great Christine. Well done
Ingredients:
1kg of white onions, peeled and chopped in half.
1 red capsicum, cored and chopped.
1 carrot, chopped.
1 green chilli, chopped.
1 can of whole tomatoes.
50g coconut block.
125g sweetened condensed milk (or evaporated milk).
100g white cabbage, chopped.
1/2 small potato, not peeled.
1 cup red lentils, rinsed.
30g or 1 bunch coriander, not chopped.
2tsp ghee.
60ml vegetable oil.
50g garlic, peeled.
50g ginger, peeled.
1TBSP tomatoes paste.
2tsp turmeric powder.
2tsp cumin powder.
2tsp coriander powder.
2tsp paprika
2tsp tandoori masala powder.
1tsp salt.
Akhni Stock:
3 bay leaves.
7 green cardamon pods.
4 cloves.
2tsp black mustard seeds.
2tsp fennel seeds.
2tsp coriander seeds.
2tsp cumin seeds.
1/2 star anise.
1 small piece of cinnamon or cassia bark.
Method:
Add all base gravy ingredients into a 5L pot (not Akhni Stock ingredients) . Fill the pot with water so it barely covers the ingredients. Bring to the boil on a low simmer. Let simmer for 1hour.
Bring to the boil 700ml of water. Add Akhni Stock ingredients and let simmer for 15mins. Drain the akhni stock to remove solids and add to base gravy.
Once the base gravy has been simmering for one hour, turn off the heat and blitz the gravy until it is ultra smooth. Ideally this can be done with a handheld blender. Other blenders can be used as an alternative although the gravy must be cooled to room temperature beforehand. No lumps should be left in the base.
Whilst the gravy is simmering, fill the pot with water until the gravy has a milk-like consistency. Simmer for one more hour.
Divide gravy into smaller portions (eg 4 small ladles) and freeze for future use.
Cheers bruva
Ive made this a few times now and what I do is not to add the last bit of water . This way I can freeze it in smaller batches and then add the water for the consistency later..
Nice to see these recipes without someone trying to flog us an ebook to get that "secret" ingredient.
Thanks Al...Im going to be honest. I already think the base gravy you've shown us is fantastic and I'm not sure if i want to change it. If it ain't broke don't fix it sort of thing! I saw this video last night (Sat Feb 16th) after having had a few guests up and serving them your Madras, Masalla and Bombay potato dishes. They thought the food was superb. I'm not sure if the first base can therefore be improved. Having said that I did slightly adjust the first one in that i added Cabbage, celery and evaporated carnation milk so i probably will try this one. Cheers Al, you've completely transformed my bir cooking.👍
I commented here 3 years ago saying that I was more than happy to stick with the 1st base. Well I've now tried this one and I've got to say that it is bloody superb!
It has taken my Curries up another notch. More depth, more flavour even the smell!
I'll only use this base now. My curries have gone from being good to being astounding. I don't take any credit because the credit is yours Al... Cheers and hope you're feeling better now. 👍
Robins sent me here in a recent podcast
Just tested this gravy with a vindaloo, and it's brilliant.
I made it using a pressure cooker though (Instant Pot),. 20 minutes + 10 minutes NPR, blitzed and added the spiced water, then 15 minutes ÷ 10 minutes NPR. Also, I skipped the condensed milk, but didn't feel I missed something..
80 thumbs down from indian restraunts lol
I make curries often but not nearly at this level. I had no idea this is what the restaurants were doing no wonder I just couldn't make it taste the same. Hello from a new subscriber from the US. How about a tagine? Or another african curry? How about a caribbean curry?
Message to ALL .. do what AL says .. you wont regret it. all the best
Fuck that, a lot easier gravy's than that!
Mark Mackenzie them ones won’t be as good though
Hi Al. You had a mention on Five Live on Friday and now I've got a stack of ingredients and a large pot to make some of this :)
Sounds great! yeah I heard it myself. Was a surprise to be honest but a welcome one. Good luck with your curry making.
@@AlsKitchen cheers! Going to do the base gravy batch tomorrow and have some chicken thighs. Any recommendations of recipes that don't need much extra work once the batch of base is made?
Hello Al I'v just made this gravy, I tasted it before thinning it down and it took me back to late 70s when there were only 2 Indian restaurants in Walsall, West Mids. One was called the Standard restaurant, they used to do a curry soup starter it was amazing, ,i've been trying to find that soup for 40yrs without success until now i'v found out their soup was bloody base gravy. Well done Al I shall be following your recipes from now on. Excellent thanks Al. Dec. ps I put a litre of akhni stock in, sorry.
Well Al, I made this yesterday and used it to make a madras and a bhuna last night. This really is the magic potion to produce proper BIR curries. Have to say I had my doubts with some of the ingredients going in, cabbage , condensed milk...but it all come together beautifully. Spent years trying recipes and watching vids trying to come up with something at least half decent but they always fell short. Now I will not go past this base gravy, it's the key to producing tasty restaurant style dishes.I have 5 tubs in the freezer ready for action. Thank you sir!
Even had some leftovers for breakfast this morning. I always think next day curry is even better
Hi Al, Do you freeze yours? If you can in what amount would you split it up to? 300ml, 500ml or 1ltr? Normally cook for a family of 3 as a general rule. Help appreciated, love the videos :)
Hi Al, big fan....I don’t add so much water. It’s easier to freeze if you keep it concentrated and add water when your about to use. Keep it up!,,
Imo based on Indian restaurant experience, there are way too many ingredients and flavours. A bir base should a simple onion based stock which is mildly spiced. The flavour/spice is added at the individual cooking stage.
Your experiences are clearly very different from my own.
Al's Kitchen I agree and no offense intended. That's the beauty of bir curry. Tastes and techniques vary dramatically. I apologise if I came across wrong.
Not at all buddy. no worries. All good
High Al, reaching the end of 1st base gravy batch, i made few months back, which is excellent. I intend making base gravy 2 next time round, the ingredints list is quite extensive. Can they all be bought in Tooting, south London? i know you shop down that way sometimes. I hope you're well, and doing ok, not only are you're recipes excellent, you're a nice guy as well. Thanks for improving my cooking skills in the curry department. Keep up the good work, you're an absolute star.
Can’t you just make tons of the stuff and sell it in cans/containers so we can just buy it from Sainsbury’s. Would make my life easier and you’ll be quids in 🤑
Al your original will always be the best and iv done a few others
Just wondering with the base gravy how many time’s can you reheat and go long can you store it for?love your channel.thanks
I’ve made this base quite a few times & stores in the freezer for almost a year & still tasted amazing to me if that helps 👍🏽
So the first hour is letting everything boil and cook and 15 minutes before the first hour is done add the stock and the last hour blitz at the beginning and thin it out and boil for another hour ? Gonna have a go today 👍
Love your videos Al. I am an Indian who normally cooks Indian dishes the authentic way. But after recently opening an Indian restaurant, my interest in learning restaurant style cooking peaked. Every chef seems to have their own way for making these base gravies, but yours is the only video that cover the whole process without keeping some ingredients as secret. Thumbs up for your effort. You have earned another subscriber.
Thank you very much for you're reply, I'll give it a go then see how it turns out, I can't see it being any different to cooking for hours.
Hi al couldn’t get coconut block or black mustard seeds but got yellow seeds instead will the base gravy be ok without coconut..cheers
Yes it will. Ive made several different versions of base gravy and never used coconut. Theyve always made great curries. I think this is just how he likes his.
I'll make this one when i have used up my ten gallon's of your original base gravy. Thank's Al,
Thanks Graham. I have loads too.
I made that much I filled a chest freezer by just pouring it in. I chip a block out when doing a curry.
Need another freezer now for this one.
This is the channel I've been searching the internet and RUclips for! Cheers Al, you're a star! 👍👍
Can you double up for big pots? My usual base gravy uses circa 1.8kg of onions for example.
Just subbed to your channel, I’ve been on a mission to up my fake aways. Got pizza, Thai an Chinese down. IMO Indian is the most difficult to get down but your gravy I reckon is the secret. Will be making this!!
I just cooked your Madras. Soo good. On a par with the Sitar in Norwood Junction and better than any other Indian restaurant. I can’t wait to get stuck in to your other recipes. Cheers Al.
Picked up your channel from BBC 5Live. I have been cooking curries for years and couldn't wait to give the base gravy a go. With lockdown, I searched the internet for online spices to no avail. Anyhow managed to get down the shop and stocked up. Yesterday I made the base gravy and because I have two young girls gave the Chicken Tikka Masala a go. Wow, what a result. Absolutely amazing. Wife orders this all the time and she was well impressed. Kids devoured it.
One question Al. How do you store fresh coriander? I had mine in the fridge but after only 24hours it wilted.
Great stuff. Coriander doesn't last too long. Try putting it in a tuppaware box with a sheet of kitchen towel around it. Happy cooking.
James.Wrap your coriander in kitchen roll and place it in an airtight/Tupperware type dish and put it in the fridge.It will last for around7 to 10 days.
use ebay for spices
Is this to make a 'concentrate', which needs to be doubled with water (as with Misty's base)?
No mate, just use as directed in Al's individual recipes 👍
Can I use a pressure cooker to make the base 2 sauce please? Thanks. Gerry
Just wondered what the best way of storing the base gravy. Great channel by the way! 👌💥💥💥
i pour mine into plastic containers mostly enough for two people and freeze
I use ziplock freezer bags. Portion them up, freeze them laid flat and they don't take up much room.
Best Indian base gravy I’ve seen on RUclips, dunno if all the Indian restaurant videos don’t want to share the full ingredients but this is a very good if not one of the best I’ve seen, and I’ve worked in Indian restaurants for many years
Thanks Man x
I get the feeling many don't want to share their secrets
Made this yesterday. used the pressure cooker. Half the time, half the gas. Still luvverly!
What was the setting and timing for the pressure cooker, I like your idea.
@@aussiedon8 I just get it up to hissing then turn it down low for 20 mins-ish. Then leave it to decompress fully. Finally zuzz it smooth. put in containers and freeze. I always leave it quite thick so I can add water later. Very old pressure cooker. Had it for about 40 years.
Ok Al, trying this gravy today. As always, will let you know what's think hahaha
It works :) I like the addition of the spice water. Have a dozen servings frozen, should last about a month.
Been using your bas gravy 1 for about three months now and love it. Now making your Chicken Tikka Masala recipe with base gravy for tonight's meal and will be making some of this superb looking base gravy 2 tomorrow....Keep it coming Al :)
Been researching this for weeks now. Finally bit the bullet and brought all the spices, pans, spoons, blender etc. Spent a small fortune lol. Out of the four people I've been reading about I keep coming back to you Al. So gonna give this base gravy a go hopefully next week. Can't wait!
Have in fact now made this. Made a couple of curries with it but personality, I think the Coriander is a bit too strong. Not sure why it needs 3 lots of it (powder, fresh and the seeds in the stock). Next time I might try leaving one of the three out and see how it goes. Don't get me wrong it doesn't taste horrible or anything it's just my personal preference as tbh I've never been overly keen on Coriander to begin with so don't let that out you off trying this. Its just about finding what's good for you.
Enjoy I done the same years ago
I created this a few days ago. And like a good second day soup, the flavours matured to an extent that the flavours had me dancing.
I then marinated 1.5 kilos of diced beef overnight in teaspoonfuls of ground ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander and paprika, with an added onion and red pepper and salt. I added 4 spoonfuls of oil and placed in a caserole dish. I poured in the gravy and slow cooked it in the oven at 170 for 3.5 hours.
Mate... thanks for this. During this lockdown I've turned to cooking to pass the time. And where I live in Edinburgh, has a plethora of Mediterranean and Chinese supermarkets.
It'll be a long time before I shop at mainstream stores again. Thanks again.
Which brand of tandoori masala powder do you use
Been eating curries for 50 years (started young) mainly in Birmingham. Done this, didn't have red lentils but used other lentils, must say this is the best base so far, made my curries from your recipes taste the best I have made, madras was especially good. Thank you and keep on posting your recipes on RUclips.
anyone know where al is??
I'm sticking to your original base gravy Al but I'm thinking of adding a few of them ingredients to it just to jazz it up a notch or two thanks again Al for your input to this brilliant information you give us a masterclass Sir.
New to this channel and loving it already, Been eating curries since the seventies and am a big fan of the British Indian style. Trendy nowadays to go Fine Dining and folks bang on about authenticity blah blah blah but this style for me is world class. Lots of snobs and dictionary swallowing keyboard jockies get a tad irate at times but for me this is the real deal. Gonna get on this and make a bhuna at the weekend for the fiance, her favourite so no pressure....
john blonde agreed. I go to an Indian for a BIR curry. Authentic curries are nowhere near as good.
Hi Al, just finishing off another batch of base gravy. Loved the chicken balti and the bhuna. Gonna try the garlic chilli chicken next. Excellent video's. I'm from Sutton Coldfield by Brum which has a tradition of good curries and balti's, but there's nowt like homemade if the recipe is bang on and yours are. I'm glad you like "proper beer" instead of those girie lagers as well...lol